


Where My Heart Belongs (Is With You)

by I_PosieAu



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: #HenelopeEndgame, Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, crack ship endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:20:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24178816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_PosieAu/pseuds/I_PosieAu
Summary: In this Au, it's Josie who broke up with Penelope and Hope who's in love with Penelope
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson & Penelope Park, Hope Mikaelson/Penelope Park, Josie Saltzman/Rafael Waithe, Landon Kirby/Hope Mikaelson, Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 20
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lilangle0013](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilangle0013/gifts).



Hope Andrea Mikealson is in love with miss Penelope Mary Park since they first meet in class in elementary school but she never had the courage to told her, so she loved her in secret and had been her friend her whole life.

But Hope was happy, because being friend with Penelope was the most wonderfull thing ever, and she didn't wanted to loose it just because she has been in love with her friend, so she keep her feelings for herself and be friend with Penelope.

She'd helped her every Friday morning taking care of the many plants and flowers in the greenhouse of the school ground. She'd helped her with her homeworks (or more like Penelope'd helped her catching everything she missed in classes because Hope wasn't really paying attention because she was mesmerizing by Penelope's beauty and couldn't do anything else except staring at her and smiling when Penelope'd look back at her with a wide grin in the middle of the class). She'd helped her cooked various cakes, pancakes, cookies..(everything she wanted) for every kids whose couldn't came back home for the hollidays, just to see them smile like crazy and hugging her with their life, sometimes it was difficult to cooked without burning the kitchen down, but it was worth it because the smile Penelope gived her everytime they did it together, was making her heart skip a beat (or ten). She'd caressed Penelope's hair when she came to her room after a nightmare to calm her. Frankly she'd do everything to have some time with her and make her happy. But one day, everything change.

One day, Penelope started dating Josie in senior year, and started spending more time with Josie than Hope, and that devasteted her and made her jealous because she knew that one day, Penelope would start dating people. But it's not surprising because a lot of people already asked Penelope out, Hope couldn't even blame them, because Penelope is more than only beautiful, she's smart, funny, powerfull, she smells like heaven, her eyes are the most precious think you can imagine because when she gives you her full attention, her eyes is the only think you can see, that and her gorgeous smile and her laught, her laught is like music to Hope's ears, it's the most beautiful song she ever heard in her entire life.

But now that Penelope and Josie, her best friend, which is the only one who knew about her feeling for Penelope, are dating she couldn't hear her laught as often as before Josie, she couldn't see her beauty or her smile as often as before Josie, and that, broke Hope's heart a little more every day. Yes she's spending some time with her, but not as often as before. And yes she's spending time with Josie too, because they are best friends after all, but every single time Hope is with Josie, she feels betrayed and the knife in her chest buried a little bit more and more everytime Josie started telling her about her time with Penelope and how wonderfull Penelope is.

And Hope knows, she knows that too well, how amazing Penelope is, and that why it's hurt her so much, because she knows that Penelope'll fall in love with Josie because her best friend is kind, cute and smart, she's not a coward like Hope, who can't face her feelings for the girl she loved..Love.

After a few weeks, Hope decided that it's time for her to try to move on from Penelope, because she had been in love with her since she's 4 years old and now she's 17, so maybe, just maybe, it's time for her to move on. So she meet Landon (not really meet because they're at the same school and Landon already showed her interest but she was, is, so deeply in love with Penelope that she didn't even noticed him), and a thing start between them, they spend time together, that was good, really good distraction. But Hope couldn't help herself, she couldn't stop comparing Landon to Penelope. How his curly black hair wasn't as perfectly curl as Penelope's raven hair, how his green eyes didn't have the same shadders and colors as Penelope's mesmerizing green eyes with a flash of gold. How his lips weren't as cute and invitating as Penelope's soft pink lips. How is nose was nothing compare to Penelope's small piercing nose. How his eyebrows weren't Penelope's perfect ones. How his strong hands weren't as soft and burning as Penelope's when he'd grab her hand. How his collaborn and neck weren't as warm and comforting as Penelope's when she'd put her head in between when they used to cuddled. How when he'd smile at her, her heart wouldn't skip a beat as Penelope's smile does to her. How when he'd look at her, her breath wouldn't hitch in her throat as Penelope's adoring look does to her. How his laught wasn't entretening and a wonderful song at Hope's ears as Penelope's musical laught is, making her stomach catchs butterflies. He wouldn't make any of this thing, but it's okay, at least he distracted her. Well, until one day..

So when he kissed her for the first time after their second date, she broke down into tears and telled him that she tried, but she didn't like him like that, and then she went to the only place where everything feel right, safe and in peace, she went straight to Penelope's opened arms, and lets everything out. Whitout a word Penelope hugged her tightly and safely. She stoked her back with her warm and soft hands under Hope's shirt, like she always did, sending shiver down her spin, and gently kissed the top of her head, while Hope puts her head in between her collaborn and neck, inhaling the best scent in the world. It feel so good, to be finaly at home. And when Penelope would asked her what happened, Hope wouldn't answer, instead she just started crying again, because deep down, Hope knew that she was crying because she couldn't have Penelope and at the same time, it was the safer place she ever had. So Penelope didn't push futher, and squeezed her closer to her protectively as if her arms were a shield protecting her against all the bad things in the world. And Hope feels a little better knowing that no matter what would happened she would always be here for her.

After 'Landon catastrophic try to move on operation', Hope doesn't try to move on, she finaly telled herself that if she tried and fell, then it's because she wasn't supposed to move on. So she keep her feelings for herself and spend more time with both Penelope and Josie, even if it's hurt like hell seeing them all touchy and kissing. It make her want to puke, but for her best friends, she'll make some effort. After all, they were perfect for each other and happy, so even if it hurt like an hundred stabs in her heart, she's happy for them, happy to see Penelope lovely smile and shinning eyes, and Josie's heart eyes, which is discusting but also kind of cute, but mostly discusting.

Until one day Penelope had stormed into her room without any warning, in full tears, making Hope stopped dead and looked up at the love of her life breaking down just before her eyes. So the first think she had done was quickly throw the book somewhere into her room (which absolutly doesn't broke the window of her room) and rushed towards Penelope who was about to fell into the ground. Hope grabbed her just in time and sit her on her bed while hugging her tightly, trying to comforted her the best she could without knowing what on earth could possibly made cry the love of her life so painfully. Hope was so angry that she was ready to ripe the head of whoever made her lover cry her heart out like that. And when Penelope admits in a weak whisper that Josie broke up with her, telling her that she didn't wanted her anymore. Hope was extremely confused because she saw that Josie was as in love with Penelope as Penelope was in love with Josie.

So this is why she didn't understand what happened when suddenly, out of nowhere, Josie broke up with Penelope, telling her she didn't have time for a relationship, which is in Hope's opinion, bullshit. That broke terribly Penelope's heart and her insecurities about not been enough reappear. Penelope is devasteted after the break up and cried on Hope's shoulder, which broke Hope's heart everytime. She know how much Penelope loved Josie, and she tried to not hate her best friend for breaking the love of her life's heart.

She comforted Penelope as best as she could, telling her how amazing she's in Hope's opinion, that if she was at Josie's place, she'd never let her go. After all this is the truth, if she had the chance to be with her and being her girlfriend (and that would be a dream come true), she'd be the one begging for staying with her..

After a few weeks of crying over Josie, Hope saw Penelope smiled a little bit more day by day, even heard her laught at her terrible jokes, which made Hope's heart skipped a beat (or seven) like every single time she heard this amazing song. And she's selfishly happy she's again the only one who put a smile on Penelope's beautiful face.

Hope didn't talk to Josie after she broke up with Penelope, she wanted to be there for Penelope when she needed her the most. Plus it's Josie who broke Penelope's heart so she must be just fine, if not it's her fault, if not she had Lizzie and MG, she didn't needed Hope. Well, that what Hope is telling herself to feel better, because she feel a little guilty to not being here for Josie, but she really didn't wanted to let Penelope alone. Okay maybe she didn't wanted to talk to Josie because she was afraid that Penelope would felt betrayed by her because Penelope cried every tears in her body into Hope's shoulder. So, maybe it's a mix of all of it. She didn't really know herself. In other hand, Hope felt happy because they are back to normal, before Josie. They spend days and nights together, like before Josie. Everything was back to normal between them, except it wasn't. Not totally.

Hope saw the way Penelope looked at her sometimes when she thought Hope didn't look, and the way they touched more than necessary, those innocent but burning touch, which sometimes left them blushing furiously but at the same time smiling widely.

It takes all Hope's will power to not let out those three little words everytime she'd heard Penelope wonderful laught or when Penelope'd looked at her with so much soften and care with her mesmerizing green eyes. But the most difficult times to control herself are when Penelope does this adorable little pout when she would burn the first cookies. This makes Hope so weak, that she almost let spilt 'I love you' in the middle of their cooking class. Of course they already said 'I love you' to each other but Hope knows that this 'I love you' means something else than the one from Penelope. But Hope is fine with that. Well, not really, but she doesn't want to lose her best friend just because she has feelings for Penelope. It would be ridiculous. So Hope just shuts her mouth and continues being friend with Penelope even if it's hurt, she tells herself that Penelope is worthing every pain in the univers. But really it doesn't help calm Hope's impulse to tell her she loves her, because Penelope is constantly touching her, holding her hand, kissing her cheek or forehead, they spend almost all their time together, they even cuddle secretly every night. So yeah, Hope is fuck.

Then, two months after the break up, Josie started dating Rafael because she needed someone to distract her from her true feelings for Penelope, and tried to talk to Hope when she wasn't with Penelope (which is not often). Josie tried the small talk about the weather or the homeworks or the school event, which lead to the Prom Ball. Hope wasn't a big fan of that kind of event, but she knew Penelope loved that. The Prom ball was in two weeks so Josie asked Hope if she could take Penelope as her date so she wouldn't stay in her room. Hope hesitant because she did wanted to take Penelope with her as her date more than anything but she didn't wanted to do that for Josie. Finaly after intern arguments, she decided to happyly oblige to asked Penelope to go with her as her date, but not for Josie, she really wanted to see Penelope in a breathtaking dress, just for her, plus she kind of had the approuvement of Josie to asked Penelope out right?

It takes some days for Hope to think about a way to ask Penelope for the prom, but she finally manages to do so. She'd ask her when they'd be alone on one of their movie night.

Unfortunately Hope being Hope, who was mesmerizing by the absolutly breathtaking Penelope in the moment, in the greenhouse, with the sunshine reflecting into Penelope's perfect green eyes, making her look effortlessly beautiful, and the sun around her would make her look like an angel, blurred out without thinking “Would you be my date for the Prom?” Penelope stopped what she was doing to look at Hope with wide eyes and mouth agape, probably from the shock. Hope's palm start to sweat and she's playing nervously with her fingers because she wasn't suppose to ask like that. “I'm sorry what?”

“I-I mean, if you don't have a date and if it's fine with you and if you want to.. And if you don't we can just go together as friends, only if that what you want..” Hope started to panic and rumbled, it was kind of cute if you ask Penelope, seing Hope all sweatly nervous asking a girl for the prom, a total mumble mess, she finds her adorable. Seing her friend freaking out, Penelope went slowly but surely to her rescuse and take her hands softly between her own and rubbed her knuckles against the back of Hope's sweaty hands, not that she minds. Hope blushed and looked up towards Penelope. They stare into each other's eyes and Penelope used her softest voice smiling warmly at Hope “Breath.” And Hope did what she had been told, after a couple of breathe Penelope chuckled and her grin widen “Good now that you're calmer, we can talk about your demand.. Firstly, are you serious about that?” Hope blushed but quickly nodds her head, a small smile into her lips. “Yes.” Penelope smiles again, this cute and beautiful turtle smile (according to Hope) “Okay, then secondly, would you be my date for the prom?” She echoed the exact same words that Hope used. Hope was actually freaking out more than she had expected, asking the love of her life to go with her to the prom was one thing, but hearing the love of her life asking her to go to the prom was a dream come true! Her body was shaking with excitement and nervousness because she'd be her date for sure at any event she wanted, hell she even would be her date every fucking day... Hope was so caught by the excitement travelling into her body that she didn't even answer to Penelope, who was silencely starting to freak out and regret that she took thing a little out of bondaries.. So when Hope recomposed herself and saw the light into Penelope's eyes faded, she quickly nodded her head and almost yelled, “YES!” , before clearing her throat and blushing “I mean, I would love to.” At this words, Penelope light up and smiles cheerfully “Handsome, pick me up at 7, next week?” Hope give her the goofiest smile when Penelope peck her on the cheek “Defenitely!”

The Prom Ball arrived a little bit too quickly for Hope's taste, not because she wasn't excited, god she couldn't stop smiling that her cheeks starts to hurt like hell. No, she was just so nervous to fuck up, what she hopes would be the best night of their lifes. And maybe the nervousness as to do with the fact that Hope is gonna confess her feelings for Penelope this night. So yeah, it's gonna be a big night for Hope, it can be the best or the worst of her life, all depend on Penelope.

And 7 pm arrived at the same time too quickly and not fast enough for Hope, because she can't contraint both her happyness and her excitement and yet she's nervouss as hell because she wants the night to go along and well, to be the best of her life..

So there she is, in front of the love of her life's door, knocking softly two time, sweating in anticipation of how breathtaking Penelope'd be in her beautiful dress, and how she is sure that she'd be a mess compare to her. She becomes more and more nervous every seconds which pass without the door opening to reveal a breathless Penelope or the sound of her magnificant voice. But then after what feel like hours, the door slowly open, to reveal Penelope in all her glory goddess that she is. She's wearing a beautiful red wine dress, who's loosing on her shoulders and expose perfectly her collarbone and a little bit of her back, her heel are black, and her hair is perfectly curl. A goddess's living on earth.

As expected Hope breath catched in her throat at the divine view and her jaw dropped to the floor. Her eyes are wide open, taking in the view, and her mouth is probably on the floor with her jaw, because her mouth is so wide open that she's sure she can catch a least ten fly. The only sound you could hear in this moment is the fast pace of her heart betting at miles hour, so fast that Hope is sure it would burst out of her chest to finish at Penelope's feet, not that she'd mind because she knows that this is where it belong since the first eye contact in elementary school...

And finaly, after drinking in the view and sober, she became what she knew she'd be, a absolut mumble mess. Her cheeks redden and her heart makes seven backflip (again) at the realisation that Penelope dressed for her, Hope Mikaelson. Penelope Park, the love of her life, is breathtakingly before Hope Mikealson because she choose her to escort her to the Prom! Hope can't wrap her head around it, and yet it's happening, she's the escort of a goddess. Hope has to use every will power she has to not reach forwards to touch this soft and invitating exposed skin. And more importantly, she has to use every cells in her body to not let out those three words right here and right now. After what feel like hours admiring Penelope's glory, Hope finaly snap out of her daze and carefully chose her next words “You look absolutly mesmerizingly breathtaking.” Was all she can mutter because she was sure that the wide, genuine and nervous smile she recieves after her long reaction was going to make her faint if she talks more, you because she forget to breath. Penelope's blushes a little bit at the statement but her smile doesn't fade, her eyes calmly scan Hope's outfit, it's a beautiful blue navi dress. Hope was expected 'You look nice too' or 'You're not that bad yourself' but instead Penelope surprised her whispering “You look amazingly beautiful too.” Yet again, her breath catches in her throat and her heart makes sever flips, the blush that creep on her cheeks is totally because the air had became hot and had absolutly nothing to do with the fact that Penelope is looking at her with this kind of pure adoration look again. Yep, no, who does she think she fool, definitely not the weather. After a few moment staring into each other eyes, Penelope clears her throat and breaks the eye contact “Shall we go?” Which makes Hope snaps out of her daze for the second time tonight, created by Penelope herself. So Hope quickly extends her hand to Penelope “My lady, do you by the most hasard thing in the world, need an escort?” Penelope giggles while lacing her finger with Hope “Nerd”

With that both girl are on their way to the gym, where the Prom is taking place.

When they arrive, they slowly take into the space, the gym is beautifully decorated thanks to Lizzie Saltzman and her perfectionisme. Once they fully enters the gym, they went straight to grab a drink before some student pour some alchool in it. They saw some students whisper and some throw look at them but they brush it off, happy to be in each other presence. Then Josie arrived, dressed in a beautiful coktail dress with a perfect bun, then Rafael enters into the view and Penelope has to look away. Hope sensing Penelope discomfort, squeezes her hand and makes eye contact “You're okay?” The green'eyed girl nodds and smile lightly.

So when a slow song started, Hope elegantly bowed to Penelope “Can I have this dance my lady?” Penelope giggled quickly before taking Hope's hands and let her lead her on the dancefloor where she hooked her arms around Hope's neck pulling her lightly closer while Hope did the same, placing her hands around Penelope's waist. They start the slow with their eyes lock into each other with big smiles on their face. The slow passes and the blue-eyed girl had been distracted by a glaring Josie, which confuse Hope, because Josie was the one asking her to assure that Penelope has a good time at the Prom, but she quickly shakes her head and looked back towards her date, to saw mesmerizing green eyes staring right back into her blue one's, making her heart beat faster than it already was. They peacefully continued swaying to the music, slowly leaning into each other's soft touch, they were so close that they could hear the unconscient quiet content sigh they let out while breathing. A few moment later, they both slyly pulled apart, just a little bit, and Hope couldn't stop herself from dropping her eyes down to Penelope's invating and perfect lips. Her heart starts to bounce faster and harder in her chest when she saw that Penelope's eyes too are glancing at her lips. They could sware, they were in a trance, as the two leaned in closer to each other's embrace. Hope's hands on Penelope's waist tighter, holding her closer to herself. Their foreheads fell against the other one's, and they closed their eyes, enjoying the new feelings accompagning this new touch, feeling the whole crowdly room slowly melt away, to let only the both of them standing in this amazing moment. Then Hope slowly closes the gap between them, and finaly, FINALY, after thirteen years of dreaming about this moment, Hope can finaly taste those perfect lips. They taste better than she could have dream of, the taste is divine and the feeling is intoxicating. She almost loose conscience when Penelope pulls her closer to her deepening the kiss. They didn't even notice that the song had stopped and the crowld room was looking at them with mixed reaction, some were happy, other (like Josie) weren't.. It only when they finaly pulled away when they heard cheers and claps that they notice their public. Both girls turned bright red, but the goofy smile they have on their faces, tells everyone in the room that it was about damn time! Everyone except Josie, who looks like she could murder Hope at the moment.

At the end of the dance, after Penelope's and Hope's passion kiss, Josie isn't happy, she was glaring before, but now she's fuming. When Penelope exused herself to go to the bathroom Josie confronts angrily Hope, who was still a little bit dazzy by this mindblowing kiss. So when an angry Josie pulled her with her to the balcony, gripping tightly her arm and yelling at her, Hope snap out of her daydreaming.

"I asked you to take Penelope with you at the Prom, I've never said go kiss and fuck her!" Seing Josie's angry and yell, Hope has not other choice than defend herself and Penelope, so she snaps. "What the actual fuck Josie?! Why do you care? She can kiss whoever she wants because remember you stupidly dumped her a few months ago!! Plus you're the one who tell me that I could take her as my date!"

"Yeah! As your date! But I don't want you to kiss her, you're my best friend it's like my sister is kissing my ex!" Josir tries to resonate but Hope is scandalisate by what she just heard.

"And yet isn't exactly what you are doing with RAF?! Isn't he Lizzie's ex??? Josie you're such a fucking hypocrite. You know everybody says that Lizzie is the selfish one but we both know that you're the selfish one. You knew about my feelings for P even before dating her and yet you dated her without asking me if I was fine with that! You were the only one who knew but still you dated her and then you got tiried of her and broke her heart when she gave you all her love! You're discusting, and I don't want be you're friend anymore. Enjoy your ball!"

Hope tries to push pass Josie to join Penelope but Josie griped her arm, making her turn towards her again.

"Don't you dare telling me that I got tiried of her. I loved her and that make me freaked out because I was sure she'll be tiried of me and find someone else who deserved her. And if she knew the truth of why I started dating her I knew she would have left me and I couldn't take the risk that she broke my heart so I did it first!"

"And what was you're fucking reason to date her that you're too ashame to tell her the truth and not just trust her??" There is a bref pause before Josie talked again.

"I had a crush on you." An other pause, before Hope snaps, again.

"And because you had a tiny crush on me, you decided to crush her heart? You decided that it was better to fucked up with the most perfect human being?? You couldn't just tell me or her?? Unbelieveble! You know, for someone who pretend to be selfless, you're acting uncroyably selfish!”

"I know that was stupid of me and now I regret it every fucking seconde! But because you were so obsessed with Pen and how wonderful she was that I knew you wouldn't feel the same so yeah, I've been selfish and started dating the person you were in love with so you could just move on! But then I realised that I started falling in love with her and not you so I freaked out and broke her heart." Josie explains guiltly.

"Of course you regret it you're fucking stupid Jo she's too perfect to not fall in love with, why do you think I'm in love with her since elementary school?"

There are some noises in the background, and the next thing they heard was from an other voice coming from behind them "Is that true?"

Fuck it's Penelope!

How much did you hear?" Hope asked softly, seing Penelope beautiful eyes watery.

“Everything..” Penelope answer taking a deep and strong breath, holding back her tears. Everything was a lie, every single moment with Josie was fake so she can have who she truly wanted, Hope.. Hope who has been there for her after the break up. Hope who has been nothing but sweet and supportive to her.

But Hope is also Josie's best friend, and Hope takes her as her date because she had pity her. And that make Penelope really angry and she shoots at the top of her lungs that she doesn't want to see any of them ever again, that she's done with the both of them and to never talk, text or call ever again. Hope tries to reach for Penelope's arm while pleading to listen to her, telling her that this isn't what she think it is. But Penelope flinch at the contact and Hope's heart breaks a little more when the following words left Penelope's mouth “I thought I could trust you and love you, but you are both the same.” After that Penelope's tears fell openly and she ran to her room. Both girl stay silence, tears in their eyes.

Hope was fully crying "Are you happy now Josie? Are you fucking happy to know that because of you, Penelope hate me and doesn't want to talk to me anymore?! Is it what you wanted? Congratulations then! I'm fucking done with you and your selfishness! Don't you dare to talk to me ever again, I don't know you anymore and I don't want to have anything to do with you ever again! I hate you so much Josie, you can't even imagine! I'll never forgive you. You ruin my life and you ruin every single chance I could have with Penelope!"

Josie started crying loudly too and tried to reach for Hope's arm but the later take a step back and look at her with the coldest eyes "Don't."

"Hope-"

"I SAY DON'T TALK TO ME EVER AGAIN !" Shouts Hope angryly before running in direction of her room, crying her eyes out. She fucked up with the love of her life. She betrayed her, not telling her the truth but she was so afraid of the rejection if she tells Penelope that Josie wanted her to be her date, that she did exactly Josie did to her two mouths ago, she broke her trust and her heart with lies, and she didn't trust Penelope enough to tell her, her true feelings. It's been a stupid mistake, which cost her the most important person in her life.. Would she be able to fix it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been 2 months, Penelope still refused to talk or even akwonledged Hope's presence, so after the desaster of this night, Hope became a total mess and decided to leave the Salvatore School because all of her family is leaving in New Orleans and she missed them and now she has no reason to stay anymore.. Will Penelope find Hope before she left?

It's been 2 months, Penelope still refused to talk or even akwonledged Hope's presence, so after the desaster of this night, Hope became a total mess and decided to leave the Salvatore School because all of her family is leaving in New Orleans and she missed them and now she has no reason to stay anymore..

…

Josie is the first to learn that Hope is leaving the town because she might have overheard it passing by her father's office, the headmaster..

“... I can't stay here anymore. There is nothing for me in this place.." Hope explains with tears in her eyes. Alaric was about to try to comfort her, but Josie brusts angryly into the office "So what? You're going to leave just because of a girl?!"

Hope throws her a cold glance "She isn't just a girl, and you know it! She's the girl. And because of you, she can't even stand to be in the same room as me without feeling sick!" Hope screams before bumping Josie's shoulder while storming out of the office. Josie is quick to follow while Alaric is left alone, trying to wrap his head around what the fuck must had happened between them.

Josie catchs easily Hope (thanks to her long legs!) "Wait!" and grabs her wrist to makes her look at her. "WHAT?!" Hope yells angryly, making Josie jumps in surprise. Realising it was her only chance, with the coldest glance she could muster, Hope yanks her arm free and continues her quick way to her room. Josie quickly recomposes herself before hesitantly chasing after her. But Hope is already in her room when she finaly catchs her. So Josie, with a new found determination, starts banging at her door. "Open up! We need to talk!" Silence. So Josie bangs at the door again, louder this time “I will not leave until we talk! So open up, Hope!”

"What didn't get you when I said 'don't talk to me anymore!'." She heard Hope yelled.

"I already said that I was sorry! For god sake, can't you just open this fucking door, I just want to say one thing!" Hope stays quiet for a few seconds, then when Josie was about to bang at the door again, she hears some foot step, then the door flies open to reveal a cold Hope. "You have 10 seconds." She then processes to raises her brow expectenly.

Josie wasn't really faithfull about her last minute plan, but it works! "What?" Josie looks at her dumbfully.

"9... 8... 7... 6..."

"Okay, okay, can't you just stop counting?" She dramaticaly rolls her eyes, but Hope doesn't stop. "5... 4... 3... 2..." Josie looks at her, really looks at her. She can see that the girl before her didn't sleep a lot in the last few weeks, because the bags under her eyes are terrifyingly wide and dark. And her eyes are still red, puffy and swollen from crying. Her once perfect and tonic body, is now weak and slim, she must have lost appetit and lost weight because of it. Josie soften at the state of her once best friend, and whispers "You should tell her.."

At that, Hope flinches and her cold facade is remplace by a melancolic one's, while she signs "No." Is all she can mutter, whch anger Josie seing Hope sturborn. "She has the right to know. Isn't she your best friend?" Again Hope is quick to glare at her with her hard and cold expression and Josie wants to slap herself for being so stupidly too foward.

"She hates me and doesn't want to have anything to do with me now, because of you remember?! So I doubt she'll care to know that I'm leaving in less than a week! So no, I'm not going to tell her, I'll leave her alone as she asks me and your 10 seconds are over now!" Hope says harshly while greeting her teeth. And with that Hope slams her door in Josie's face, leaving a sad Josie staring blankly at the door. "So I'd do you it for you." She murmurs under her breath before walking back to her room where she'd think about how she'll talk to Penelope about Hope's leaving. Then an idea pop in her mind, and she smiles to herself. This would be her only shot. For Hope's and Penelope's happyness she thinks to herself, before falling asleep and imagining a world where the three of them are in love and happy with each other.

…

Josie decides to tell Penelope because she thinks she has the right to know, (she eventually feels guilty, she's one of the reason that destroy their friendship and hearts), even if she knows that Penelope wouldn't wanted to talk to her, Josie wants to see them happy even if it's not with her. Maybe in an alternative universe they could have been together, the three of them, happy... Fantasy that makes Josie's heart flutters of hope and twists of sadness at the reality of this world.

She could always have one of them if she really wanted to, because after all, she made Penelope falled in love with her, so if she really wanted to, she could just let Penelope discovered by herself that Hope decided to abandonned her, and she would come crying to Josie's arms, and they will go back together eventually..

But no. Josie wants to do the right thing for once in her life and not been selfish, so here she is, before Penelope's room, ready to pay for her mistakes. Josie knocked softly three times at the door, as she always did when they were together, making her reliving some vivid memories of late date night with her. She's snapped out of her throught when the door's open tentatively before her, reveling a tired and sad Penelope with puffy and red eyes, she must have wipes her eyes seconds before opening the door, making Josie's stomach twists with guilt and sadness, she wants to reach to comfort the girl but she knows that she has no right, not anymore.. So she plays nervously with her fingers to stopped them to make contact with the soft skin of Penelope's cheeks. Penelope seems to realise who is at her door because she quickly straight her back, tighten her jaw and a cold expresion covers her sad one's. “What the hell do you want? Didn't have been clear enough on the fact that I don't wanna see you ever again?!” She was about to close the door when Josie traps the door at the last second with her foot “Wait! It's not about us, it's about Hope!” Something she can not decifer cross her green eyes, but she has no time to process what the feeling is before it's remplace by indiference “Why should I care about her? She hurted me as much as you did!” Once again she tries to slam the door into Josie's face but Josie stops her once again “She's leaving!” This makes Penelope froze on her spot, a quiet whisper escapes her parted lips “What?” Josie's face soften at Penelope's tremble lips “She's leaving Mystic Falls to return to her family in New Orleans, for good. She'll finish the two months of school back there. She's already packing her stuff, she leaves in two days.. I throught you would like to know, to at least you know, say her goodbye..” There is a quick pause, Penelope is trying to wrap her head around all of those new informations, one thing is hurting more than the fact Hope's leaving.. Why didn't Hope told her yet? But deep down she knows why.. Because if Penelope asked Hope to stay, she knows that the beautiful auburn haired girl will in an heartbeat. Or maybe because Hope is so willing to please her and respected Penelope's wish and leave her alone, for good this time. The last through makes Penelope's heart hurts, like she's being stab over and over again.. Hope is leaving because of her. In this moment Penelope wants to puck, she's forcing her best friend to leave the town because she had been 'asked' in a moment of pure hurt and anger.. She snapped out of her tulmutous thought by Josie's hand on her wrist and her soft, pleading voice “You should talk to her.” She whispers sadly, Penelope nodds blankly but a question stay at the tip of her tongue “Why?” Her voice is weak and crack, she feels like crying again even when she feels dry with all the amount of tears that left her eyes those last two months. It's a simple question, but heavy. Josie sighs “She said that she doesn't have any reason to stay anymore..” And this makes Penelope almost break down before Josie. Of course, she isn't worth it. Who would stay when Penelope told them to leave? When she did scream for them to leave her alone and forget about her? But Penelope doesn't want to break down before her ex because of an other ex? Girl? So she just nodds and thanks Josie before closing the door and breaking down while learning on the door. She cries what she had left of tears. She fucked up with the only person who truly cared for her and loved her. Hope. Hope who apparently has been in love with her for the past 13 years.. Hope who was so selfless that she let Penelope dated someone else without wanting to break them apart because all she ever wanted was to see Penelope happy, even if her heart broke. Fuck! Penelope regrets everything. How is she gonna fix this mess?

…

Meanwhile, Hope stars blankly at the celling, trying not to think about the fact that she should at least maybe, write something like a letter to Penelope to let her know how sorry she's and how much she will miss her, but she wanted to respect Penelope's wish and leave her alone, she inevitably fall into this spiral of though, working the courage to at least explain herself to Penelope, her feelings, the prom, everything... If is not in person, she, at the very least deserves some written explaination.. It goes on like this for few hours later, Hope spiraling, so she decides that some needed fresh air would be welcome to distracted herself form her through, and the roof seems like a good idea.

So here, she is, drinking her soron, at 3am one day before she had to left, thinking about what she might say to the love of her life if she came talk to her. A small piece of paper and a pen to help organised her through.

The next morning, an handsome hangover takes her mind off for a few minutes, but then she muster all of her courage to go talk to Penelope and explain herself, she deserves to know..

So here she is, before Penelope's room ready to knock and let everything out, but the moment her fist was about to came in contact with the wood, she froze, she heard something, something muffle. She waits a little, telling herself that maybe her mind is playing some trick, but then heard it again. A muffle cry and quiet sob, the most heartbroken cry she ever heard, Penelope's crying, and she can't even comfort her about it because she lost her trust and her friendship. And Hope hates herself for earring the love of her life crying, not being able to do anything about that, tears of anger (against herself) start to fall from her eyes, which she harshly wiped before turning around and going back to her room. She needs to get out of here, 'the sooner the better, for Penelope' she tells herself as she grabs her luggage and harshly throws some clothers in it. She froze when she spot a picture of Penelope, Josie and her, she slowly reaches for it. As she genlty caresses the picture, more tears falling down her cheeks, and she can't help the loud sob that escaped her lips. She curled into herself, hugging the picture tighly against her chest, thinking about Penelope doing the same thing every night, crying her eyes out, and she let the tears freely fall, before falling asleep, to exausted by her own emotions..

…

Penelope spends the last two days searching for Hope, and finaly the night the beautiful blue-eyed girl is supposed to leave, she finds her walking to the door with her luggage already in hands, her head lows with firm step, well until she heard the wonderful voice the had dream to heard again, calling her name behind her, making her stop in her track and an heavy sigh escaped her lips. Was it relieve? Disappointment? Penelope couldn't tell but frankly it was the last of her worries right now.

“You weren't gonna say goodbye?”

Of course Josie told her. The idea make the auburn-haired girl's lips twists in a ghost of a smile for a second, before she turns around to face the love of her life, already staring at her, smiling sadly. Hope doesn't want her to be sad but she can't take the silence treatment anymore. If she had know that her leaving would have made Penelope talk to her, she would have done this sooner.. But Hope doesn't want to think like this, it's might be her last conversation with the love of her life and she also doesn't want to this about this.. So instead, she takes a deep breath and tries the lighten the mood “I wasn't sure I had the right to.. You know, since you explicitmently forbiden me to talk to you or even to see you..” As quickly as she spoke those words, as quickly she regrets them when she see how much Penelope flinches at her words. And Hope truly wants to slap herself for being so stupid to talk about something that happened a few weeks ago when they clearly still didn't make it up for this. And Hope wants to take her words back and says that she's sorry but Penelope interrupts her before she can say a word. With a shaky voice, Penelope speaks first, tears treatening to fall from her eyes. God was Penelope tired of crying, it's like she only done that this last year of school. “Why? Why are you leaving? Is it because of me? Because I told you to leave me alone? Because if it is, you don't have to leave, we both know that this school is one of your safe place and-” Hope can't stand the idea that Penelope is beatting herself for a decision that had clearly been think, even if the recent state of their relationship had play a part in her decision.. “This isn't about what you said.. Not entirely.. It's just that I miss my family so much, and I just.. I can't stand the idea that you hate me so much that you can't even look at me proprely.. And I understand why, truly, I hate myself too. I know I hurt you, this is why I keep my distance as you asked me to, but I just can't keep going like this.. I lo-I'm sorry, I just don't have any reason to stay anymore..” They both had tears in their eyes, and it broke both ther hurt, but Penelope was determined to make everything in her power to make the girl she loves stay. Wait? What? This is new..

“But what about me? Hope stays silence, so Penelope takes a tentative step towards her, she reaches for Hope's hand, and when the girl didn't flinch or back away from her touch, she intertwined their fingers and cuped Hope's cheek with her other hand to softly wiped the few tears there as Hope leaned into her touch, missing those soft and intimate touch. Their heart were beating at miles at hour as they stare at each other's eyes and Penelope whispers softly “Stay. Stay for me. Please.” It was almost a prayer, which almost make Hope gives in, but this isn't what she wants to hear, what she needs to hear, and they both know that.. So Hope pushs, with a shaky voice, she murmured “Why? Give me one single reason and I will.” So Penelope takes a deep breath, still looking deeply in Hope's deep ocean eyes, she whispered sweetly the next words “I love you Hope Andrea Mikealson. I'm so in love with you, that if you leave right now, I don't know if I will ever recover. So please, stay. Stay for me, for us. I love you.” Hope almost cried in relief, hearing those words, make her feel alive again, the only thing missing was her searing kiss. So she doesn't hesitated, with a last look in those mesmerizing green eyes full of love, she reaches forwards and captured Penelope's lip in the softlest and loving kiss she had ever experiment, smiling into the kiss. When she retuculantly pulls away, she smirks seing Penelope chasing after her lips for a few more soft kisses. She waits some seconds for Penelope to open her eyes, and when she does, Hope whispers tendrely “I love you Penelope Marie Park” Smiling from ear to ear, they both lean for another kiss, and an other, and an other, until they both needed to pull away to breath, smiling widely at each other. “Come on, let's get home.” And at this exact moment, Hope though that she was already at home whenever she was with Penelope. But she says nothing, instead she nodds her head before stealling an other sweet kiss. And with that, Penelope intertwined their hands and they walk bacl hand in hand to Hope's room, where they unpack all of her luggage, and finish the night by falling asleep tangled into each other after some more soft kisses and whisper of loving words and promises.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any mistakes, English in not my first language. Hope you enjoyed!


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